Tension mechanism



Tatented Sept.. ld, T9223.

nain rare Lethal-dd PATENT @FFTQEO TOEN 0. KOREAN, 0F WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER MACHINE COMPANY, F WESTFILD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

TENSION MECHANISM.

@riginal application filed April 18, 1922, Serial No. 555,121.

Divided and this application filed August 2,

1922. Serial No. 579,155.

' To aZZ whom t may concern:

, Be it known that T, JOHN O. MCKEAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident vof Westeld, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Tmprovement in Tension Mechanisms, Vof which the following is a specification.

It is a well known fact where the tension device does not move up and down with the traverse-bar on a vertical spooler, that the tension on the thread increases and decreases as the traverse-bar moves up and down, thereby producing a wound spool 5 soter at the'lower end than at the upper lt is very desirable that the spools should be wound with an even, constant or uniform tension on the thread, the entire length of 2@ the spool. Therefore, the object of my invention is to provide certain improvements in the construction form and arrangement of the several parts of a thread tension mechanism for spool vwinding machines, in

" which the continuity of a uniform tension on the thread is provided `for as the thread approaches and leaves the lower end of the winding spool,`whereby the ltension of the thread is distributed and the'liinks removed,

30. and whereby the thread Contact surfaces of the tension devices are kept clean.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. -1 represents my improved mechanism in side elevation as in use. n

Fig. 2 represents a detail top plan view of the mechanism on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the im same. .I1 Fig. 4 represents a section taken in the plane of the line 'lV-TV of Fig. 2, ylooking in the direction of the arrows. The vertically disposed winding 'spool l and the horizontally disposed traverse bar 2 are carried by the frame 3 of a winding machine and they may be driven by any well own orapproved means, not shown herein.

w The bobbin and tension supporting bracket a is adjustably secured to the crossbar 5 of the machine, as for instance by the set screw 6. This bracket 4f has an arm 7 which i@ e Support .for the bobble 8, and anj .ly disposed other arm 9 which is provided with a tension head 10, along the narrow upper smooth, elongated surface of which the thread passes under the tension devices to be hereinafter described, on its way from the bobbin 8 to the winding spool l.

The tension head l0 is pivoted to the free end of the arm 9 of the bracket 4 by a bolt 1l for vertical adjustment. This head may have a suitable recess l2 which forms a leading-in guide for the thread.

Two tension devices are herein shown as coacting with the narrow elongated thread engaging surface of the head 10, each of which tension devices comprises a verticalpin 13, uprising from the head, pin is loosely mounted the gravtension washer 1d, and one or present instance, one tension upon which ity operated more., in the weight l5.

The tension washers 14 project considerably beyond both side edges of the thread contact face of the head and coact with the narrow face, to keep the same clean hecause of the high velocity of the thread passing between the washers and the narrow thread contact surface of the head.

A threading guard 17 is carried by the tension head 10` a cap screw or bolt 17* being provided for removably securing the threading guard in its proper position. This guard 17 is provided with arms 18 projecting over the tension weights l5 to prevent the accidental removal of the tension washers and weights. This guard is also provided with a laterally extended portion 19, forming a tension bar in the underside of which a shallow groove 20 is provided through which the thread passes as it leaves the narrow thread contact surface of the tension head.

.A tension equalizing bar 21 is vertically adjustable in the shank of the head 10, a set screw 22 serving to hold the bar in its adjusted position. This bar has a horizontal arm 23 terminating in a downwardly projecting end 24, which arm 23 is adjusted to engage the thread as the traverse bar 2 approaches and leaves the lower limit of its movement, to gradually increase and decrease the tension on the thread at this portion of the winding of the spool. ln other words, as the angularity of the path of the thread decpeases with respect to the tenslon Sil bar 19, due to the downward movement of the traverse bar 2, the thread will be brought into engagement with the tension equalizing bar 21 at a point before the bottom of the spool is reached and thereafter a fixed angularity between the bar 21 and bar 19 is established, while the angularity of the path of the thread with respect to the tension equalizing bar toward the traverse bar is gradually increased as the traverse bar completes its downward movement.

The positions of the uprising pins 13 of the second tension device with respect to the thread guide recess 12 and groove 20 are such that the direction of the thread as it passes along the narrow thread contact surface of the tension 10 is slightly changed as it passes from the first to the second pin and then again as it passes from the. second pin to the groove 20.

From the above description it will 'be seen that I have provided means whereby the tension on the thread is kept constant or uniform as the thread nears and leaves the lower end of the winding spool, said means being adjustable to get the best results.

By providing a narrow elongated thread contact surface and by extending the gravity operated tension washers beyond the side edges of said surface, I am enabled to keep the contact surface free and clear of all foreign matter. Also by locating the vertically arranged pins of the tension devices out of alinement with the thread guides at the opposite ends of said elongated narrow contact surface, I am enabled to cause the thread to pass in a crooked or multi-angular path along said surface, thus preventing any tendency of the thread to leave the path, and reducing materially the tendency of the thread to vibrate as it passes through the tension mechanism.

The'subject matter shown and described, but not claimed herein, relating more particularly to the means whereby the tension on the thread is kept constant or uniform as the thread nears and leaves the lower end of the winding spool, forms the subject Inatter of my co-pending application filed April 18, 1922, Patent No. 1,447,591, of which this application is a division.

It is evident that various changes ma be resorted to in the construction, form an ar-l rangement of the several parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself to the particular embodiment herein represented, but

What I claim is:

1. In a tension mechanism, an element having a narrow elongated thread contact surface, and a tension device therefor comprising a vertically `disposed pin and a gravity washer loosely mounted on the pin and extending beyond both side edges of said contact surface.

2. In a tension mechanism, an element lhaving a narrow elongated thread contact surface, and a plurality of tension devices therefor arranged to act as a unit on a single thread, each comprising a vertically disposed pin, and a gravity washer loosely mounted on the pin and extending beyond the side edges of said contact surface.

3. In a tension mechanism, a tension head having a narrow elongated iat thread contact surface, means for guiding the thread to and from said surface,'a plurality of tension devices therefor arranged to act as a unit on a single thread, said tension devices including vertically arranged pins out of aline-ment with said guides and gravity tention washers loosely mounted on said pins.

4. In a tension mechanism, a tension head having a narrow elongated flat thread 4contact surface and a leading-in thread guide groove, a plurality of tension devices arranged to -act as a unit on a single thread,

said tension devices comprising vertically arranged pins uprising from said surface and gravity washers loosely mounted on said pins, a threading guard and means for removably securing it to the head, said threading guard having a laterally extending portion provided with a leading-out thread guide groove. it

5. In a tension mechanism, a tension head having a narrow elongated iat thread contact surface and a leading-in thread guide groove, a plurality of tensiondevices arranged to act as a unit on a single-thread, said tension devices comprising vertically arranged pins uprising from said surface and gravity washers loosely mounted on said pins, a threading guard and means for -removably securing it to the head, said threading guard having a laterally extending port-ion provided with a leading-out thread guide groove, said threading guard also having arms projecting over the gravity washers for preventing their accidental removal, y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l as my invention, I have signed my name `this '16th' day of June, 1922.

JOHN O. MGKEAN.

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